Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Are you heading to New York City anytime soon? Or do you live here in one of these five boroughs and want to see Manhattan through a new set of eyes? Then look no further, for Glace Chase has what you are looking for... introducing Glace Chase's Dream Queen Tours of New York City. As Huffington Post said it best "Is there really a better way to learn 'history' of New York City's iconic West Village than straight from the mouth of a local drag queen?"

Held every Sunday afternoon (and soon, midweek as these groups keep growing by word of mouth!), Glace Chase takes her entourage through the Village, "celebrating New York City's bold personalities who have led interesting lives, as told by this bold personality who has led far too interesting of a life!" The tours start in a bar and finish in a bar, and as I can tell you firsthand, there's a whole lot that goes on in between. It's a mash-up of a comedy show, a pub crawl and walking tour, or as quoted by one of her reviewers, a mash-up of "This American Life" with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" staged as a meandering, somewhat drunken walking tour.

Speaking of reviews, in today's day and age, reviews mean everything! Glace Chase's Dream Queen Tours have everything you need to decide whether her tour is right for you based on what the world is saying and sharing via social media. Lots of quotes can be found on her website, with all of the good and juicy stuff found at these direct links:

So if a parody of a history-based walking tour filled with personal anecdotes and razor-sharp wit from one of the funniest up-and-coming drag personalities in NYC is your shtick, be sure to make Glace Chase's Dream Queen Tours part of your NYC experience!www.dreamqueentours.com/

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

If you're in Palm Springs this November 5-6 for Pride, be sure to come on by and see us at our booth with the folks from GayDesertGuide.com.

What #ILoveGayPalmSprings does is bring together the conversations and relevant content related to LGBT Travel to, as well as Life in, Palm Springs, where we participate in and become an active part of these social media conversations out where they are happening live, in real-time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

On Monday, November 7th, we'll be doing a seminar titled "Hey Palm Springs, Do You Speak Twitter (and Instagram)?" ... the details are as follows:

Monday, November 7th from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pmHard Rock Hotel, Fillmore Terrace room – 150 S. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA
Join us as we review some of the latest in social media marketing today… most of us are comfortable and familiar posting on Facebook. But unless you’re paying to boost your post, your options are limited in ensuring your Facebook post gets seen. We review the basics of Twitter, including best practices when creating a post. We’ll be covering hashtags, Twitter Lists, @symbol connections to other profiles and so much more, including a review of what is happening today on #GayPalmSprings, #ILoveGayPalmSprings and the upcoming #PSPride. Since the language of Instagram is so similar to Twitter, we’ll be covering this as well. We’ll also be discussing how hashtags and trends are becoming a stronger part of search results in 2017 as well. Lastly, we'll be touching on the world of LGBT influencers, including a case study of how Palm Springs capitalized on some powerful lesbian influencers with the Dinah Shore event earlier this year.

Monday, October 10, 2016

“Trick or Treat on the gayest beach in the World” is coming to Fort Lauderdale!

One Magical Weekend has teamed up with Hello Sunny to bring the Inaugural Halloween weekend to Fort Lauderdale Beach. Fort Lauderdale/Broward county is host to over 1.1 million LGBT visitors each year. It is the perfect market to connect One Magical Weekend and a vibrant and breathtaking destination – Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Trick or Treat begins at the host hotel - check into the beautifully renovated B Ocean Resort – one of only four hotels directly on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The historic former Yankee Clipper property has been given a massive overhaul and reflects the new chic beach lifestyle.

This Scare-Cation Weekend will be packed with many free, first-time events starting with the opening “Uniform” VIP Reception on the B Ocean’s ocean-front pool deck overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Bus service will be available all weekend to and from Fort Lauderdale’s famous, Wilton Drive, where our guests can eat, shop, drink and be entertained at the unparalleled “Gay District” strip.

Saturday will feature the Trick or Treat Beach Party located on Sebastian Beach – in front of the Ritz-Carlton hotel. Enjoy an afternoon of sun and sea while being served treats by some of the hottest Trick’s around!

This event will be followed by an evening Cocktail “Wig Party” at Fort Lauderdale’s Premier Gay-men’s guesthouse, The Grand Resort. DJ JB Burgos will provide the backdrop to sip and mingle at this beautiful resort. Then it is off to Wilton Drive for the Good and Evil Halloween Party at The Manor on Wilton Drive. World-class International DJ Tony Moran will keep you dancing to the wee hours of the night. Don’t forget your favorite costume for the night’s costume contest.

On Sunday, enjoy a leisurely morning at the B Ocean Resort before boarding transportation to the Tacky Tourist Boat Cruise on the legendary Carrie B. International DJ/Producer Twisted Dee will be spinning the afternoon T-Dance beats and everyone’s favorite, TP Lords, will be hosting the afternoon’s hilarious fun-filled ride. Dance and laugh the afternoon away cruising through Fort Lauderdale’s beautiful Intracoastal Waterway.

Bus transportation is available all weekend. Book your room, purchase your tickets and get more details at www.onemagicalvacations.com.

Join us for a great Scare-Cation Getaway and experience Halloween in Fort Lauderdale’s paradise.

The new team at Gaydar are in the mood to celebrate the upcoming launch of their new site coming to a tablet, desktop and mobile screen near you very soon.

Gaydar have years of online matchmaking experience, just over 17 to be exact! They’ve helped thousands of gay men and women (GaydarGirls) make new friendships (both local and further afield), arrange dates in numerous countries, cities, towns and villages and in many cases, find long term life partners. They seem to know what they’re doing when it comes to online dating, and now plan to use their skills and expertise in the world of offline dating and what better place to do this than at ‘The Outing’ Lisdoonvarna Ireland– The World’s first and only gay and lesbian (LGBT) Matchmaking Festival.

Now in its fourth year and going stronger than ever, The Outing Festival attracts members of the LGBT community from all over the world. It’s literally got everything you could want from an LGBT weekend festival including pop-up clubs, drag performances, comedy, live music, arts, literary/Film Festival (GAZE) and interactive events. If you haven’t already heard, B*Witched, Panti Bliss, Alan Hughes (TV3) Blind Date and Jonny Woo to Le Gateau Chocolat will all be performing and a lot more.

Craig McCormack, Marketing Manager at Gaydar comments: “We’re extremely excited to join forces with The Outing this October. At Gaydar, we’re all about helping our members create connections that last and as a long established digital dating brand it will be great to experience and play a part in the various matchmaking events that take place ‘offline’ over the weekend of The Outing Festival. We’ll also have news and updates to share with you all about our new site (launching October). So you can bet we’ll be in the mood for celebrating! Keep an eye out for us as we’ll no doubt be buying a few rounds at the bar Irish style’.

As Panti Bliss said “The Outing takes something quintessentially Irish and dips it in glitter. It opens up the idea of “traditional Irishness” to the LGBT community and says, actually, yes, you can be LGBT and still be as Irish as the Lisdoonvarna Festival.”

“An LGBT weekend away like no other”, according to festival host Panti Bliss, The Outing is a fusion of music, comedy, céilí bands and some of Ireland’s & International best Dj’s, Performers and drag artists. But don’t forget why you’re in Lisdoonvarna in the first place. This is a matchmaking festival going for over 160 years and you’re looking for love or friendship.

Yes ‘You’re Not The Only Gay in This Village’ said Eddie McGuinness Festival Director & Creator.

The Outing Lisdoonvarna LGBT Music & Matchmaking Festival Co. Clare Ireland, October 7th – 9th 2016. Now in its fourth year, the fast growing offshoot of the historical matchmaking festival is back and bigger than ever. With pop-up clubs, drag performances, comedy, live music, Film Festival (GAZE) and interactive events, it’s a guaranteed craic-filled weekend away on Ireland’s stunning west coast.

Friday, August 12, 2016

During Southern Decadence, the venue Three Keys at Ace Hotel New Orleans will be in full swing with CAKE: five nights of free decadent programming including performances by Rica Shay, Delish, DJ Rusty Lazer, Neon Burgundy, Ashley Teamer with DJ Natty Boom and DJ 2 PC Dark, Hello Mr. and Ha Sizzle.

On Saturday night, London institution Horse Meat Disco takes over Barnett Hall with support from the Trax Only Crew, Father Figure, Bouffant and Kathi, with tickets on sale soon. One of the most important disco club nights in the world, Horse Meat Disco focuses on production details and an outrageous polysexual crowd, having made HMD the darling of the music press and switched on clubbers alike. Now into their twelfth year, Horse Meat Disco have continued to lead the way with packed residencies at their HQ at The Eagle in London's Vauxhall, Lux in Lisbon and Tape in Berlin. Inspired by the music and inclusive ethos of New York's club scene during the '70s and '80s, the collective have garnered a unique reputation for amazing parties and unmatchable sets, the quartet of DJs each mixing their own quality blend of disco juice.

On Sunday night, be sure to check out the Seancé feat. Tunde Olaniran, Flint, Michigan's brightest afrofuture star making his New Orleans debut for Southern Decadence Festival weekend.

Until the full schedule's revealed next week, guests can use code BLANCHE to book a room at Ace New Orleans for Southern Decadence weekend (August 31-September 5) for a discount on their room rate, VIP access for two to the Mezzanine during shows at Three Keys, plus two free drinks anywhere on property.

Southern Decadence was born in 1972 when a group of social outcasts living together in a rundown house in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans threw a going away fête for a New Yorker who couldn't abide the Southern heat. Everyone showed up dressed in the likeness of their "favorite Southern decadent" in honor of Blanche DuBois (parasols, fans, white gloves, etc). It was joyful and it was rebellious, and history was made.

Today, it is an annual six-day event held by the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community during Labor Day Weekend, climaxing with a parade through the French Quarter on the Sunday before Labor Day. It is the largest gay event in New Orleans. The official theme for this year's 45th Southern Decadence is "Decadence Takes the World" with colors ruby red, pearl white, blue sapphire and amethyst purple.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

NYC Also Home to WorldPride 2019, in Conjunction with 50th Anniversary of Historic Stonewall Uprising

NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, and the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) today announced that New York City will host IGLTA’s 2019 Annual Global Convention, the premier educational and networking event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender tourism industry. More than 600 participants are expected to attend the three-day convention in spring 2019.

2019 marks a pivotal moment in the City’s history, with the 50th anniversary of the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising, widely considered the catalyst of the modern LGBT rights movement. Last week, President Barack Obama designated 7.7 acres of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village – including the Stonewall Inn – the Stonewall National Monument, the newest addition to America’s National Park System and the first national monument to gay rights. In celebration of the anniversary, New York City will also be home to WorldPride 2019, an expanded two-month series of events and programs alongside NYC Pride’s annual events.

“In 2019, New York City will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and IGLTA has chosen to share this celebration with the global LGBT travel industry,” said IGLTA Board Chair Juan Julia. “Our members will be able to attend a great conference and also experience New York City's incredibly vibrant LGBT community. Rich with history and the cachet of being the city that never sleeps, there’s never a shortage of things to do in New York City, whether you're looking for theater, film screenings, museums, restaurants or world-class gay bars and clubs.”

The announcement comes on the heels of New York City’s annual Pride celebration, which took place June 19-26 and is among the most popular in the world. Each year, millions of people participate in events including The March, PrideFest, Dance on the Pier, and The Rally.

“We are thrilled that in 2019, just months before the 50th anniversary of the historic events at Stonewall, New York City will be home to IGLTA’s Annual Global Convention,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “We look forward to showing IGLTA’s membership exactly what makes New York City the most vibrant and welcoming LGBT destination in the world.”

According to Community Marketing, Inc., New York City is the #1 LGBT destination in the United States.

About NYC & Company
NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

About IGLTA
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association is the leading member-based global organization dedicated to LGBT tourism and a proud Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. IGLTA’s mission is to expand LGBT tourism globally for the benefit of travelers and its members. The association also is a proud supporter of ECPAT’s Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct to prevent child exploitation. IGLTA membership includes LGBT and LGBT-friendly accommodations, destinations, service providers, travel agents, tour operators, events and travel media in more than 70 countries. For more information: iglta.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @iglta.

Friday, June 10, 2016

Planning a trip to Europe this year? Looking to jump head first into a music-laden, fun-filled LGBT weekend in the Irish countryside? Then look no further! From October 7-9, 2016, The Outing Lisdoonvarna LGBT Music & Matchmaking Festival, now in its 4th year and growing, features pop-up clubs, drag performances, comedy, live music, arts, a literary/film festival and interactive events. It's a guaranteed craic-filled weekend away on Ireland's stunning west coast, on the Atlantic Way.

“An LGBT weekend away like no other”, according to festival host Panti Bliss, The Outing is a fusion of music, comedy, ceilí bands and some of Ireland’s & International best DJs, performers and drag artists. But don’t forget why you’re in Lisdoonvarna in the first place. This is a matchmaking festival and you’re looking for love or friendship!

Their entertainment line-up this year includes the Irish girl group, B*Witched, as well as Thea Austin, former lead singer of SNAP! and Rhythm is a Dancer. In addition, the high queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss, will be performing, as well as Jonny Woo, the queen of London's alternative drag scene.

The Outing has quite an interesting history... it was a totally new concept in 2013, having tied into the long-running Traditional Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival started 157 years ago. This festival runs over five weekends and for the very first time in 2013, the festival had dedicated its first weekend to the LGBT community.

A weekend like this wouldn’t be complete without a night full of clubbing! And these aren’t just any club nights! They’re bringing attendees a selection of Ireland’s and Europe’s best gay clubs and taking them on tour. Expect the unexpected, and not just in one but four venues and clubs. On these nights, there will be a battle between several DJs, sexy stage dancers and fire eaters. Entertainment for one and all!

Huffington Post also wrote an article last year, focusing on Ireland's gay history as LGBT rights continued to go mainstream, written by Karel Bouley. The HuffPo team were part of a media trip that included touring Ireland's famous LGBT sites, including the monument to Oscar Wilde and exploring the Temple Bar area in Dublin. You also get a sense of the pioneering work Eddie McGuinness has put into this event from its creation in 2013.